Vintage Wonderland

 Hello friends, welcome to a new week. 

I am one of those who can enjoy hearing and singing a Christmas carol anytime of year, so when I saw the Jingle Belles Challenge "Walking in a Vintage Wonderland" I got to stamping and humming!

I bought the Nostalgic Christmas set (SSS) last year and thought at first of using the ornaments for today's card. When I saw the deer, and remembered my vintage papers (Yuletide - from Scrapbook.com) I changed directions. Here you have it!

My favorite of the papers is this snowy scene. The die from Penny Black (Classy Frames) captures a snippet and gives me a focal point for the greenery and sentiment. 

I added a bit of sparkle to the greenery and the deer with texture paste and a few gems. It's a super bright day so they're hard to see in the photo. The tag and tiny sentiment are from The Greetery. 

It is nice having one card for Christmas in the hopper.  Last year I chose not to mail cards BUT... I made up for it by buying new stuff! As you will see in coming days, this seems to be a pattern. And I love it! 

I'm still recovering from being sick, and this wonderful hobby gives me so much pleasure. Your visit is fun too, wishing you a great day!

Entering this to the Jingle Belles and Krafty Chicks. See you soon! 

Be yourself

         Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Blessed Gift

Sometimes you see stamps that you envision using to make the exact card featured on the packaging (well almost!)  These images of a snowy village and a beautiful sentiment warmed my heart so much I knew they were for me. Bought them. I didn't know it would take me so long to ink them up! Today is the day.

Why today? Jaydee's challenge at The Paper Players is a theme: Gifting. I've loved the sentiment from Penny Black stamps Peace and Love, referring to the gift of Christ at Christmas. I paired it with the village scene from the Sleigh Ride stamps, and painted the buildings with Distress ink re-inkers. Using Background Basic stencils to mask, I sponged a light night sky studded with a few stars. This card measures 4.25 x 5".

I have challenges to thank for keeping me inspired, keeping me stamping, and sending me to my stash to seek out just the right items. 

Besides The Paper Players, I will add this to the challenge at NBUS, and the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.  

Thanks so very much for your visit. I'm not putting the boxes of Christmas stamps away yet! See you again soon. 

Be yourself

         Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Bright Bells for Christmas

 Happy December, friends! The count down til Christmas is on and I've got so many more holiday stamps to use before the 25th! It's my favorite season for creating and I have a gazillion Christmas items new and old taking up most of my crafting table. Today's card is mostly old dies and a new one.

The Sketch Challenge at FMS was on my mind and again. I don't know why these sketches simmer on the back burner of my brain for days! I had to fiddle around before deciding what I thought could work best. Here's my card. I'm entering it at the very last minute.

Here's the sketch.  My take is literal!

The bells are dies retired from SU long ago, but I thought they fit with the sketch well. I knew I wanted a detailed focal point. I like that it's also shiny cut from gold card stock! The holly, and sentiment are added to have a trio/triangle for balance. I kept the square more simple with an ornate frame and tone on tone stamping of the holly on the red panel. A white card base was embossed with a holly/berry folder for a subtle background. 

I will list the supplies below, and give you a special thanks for stopping by on this busy week. Happy hugs to you!

Be yourself

         Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

The EF used is from SSS, the holly, berries and bow are from Concord & 9th Kristina Werner Festive Snow Globe Dies; the sentiment is from Kristina Werner Concord & 9th Joyful Holiday Stamp set; on the red panel I stamped in Versamark using Kristina's Easy Repeat Background stamp. The square frame is an oldie from PTI. 

A Christmas Pair

 Popping in with a quick post on this chilly Sunday. Hi, how are you doing? I'm sharing a Christmas card today that I feel happy to have as the first in the pile up.

I used new stamps from Penny Black (Christmas with Mimi) and colored the cute couple with re-inkers used as watercolors. The snowflakes and designer paper were oldies from my stash. I'm keeping things simple with my stamping and getting used to multiple trips to the "closet" to rummage for supplies which I carry out to the dining room table. And back again. 

Those who visit my blog regularly know that we moved to be closer to our family, in spite of being 'very young' for this kind of change. (big grin here). Our move to a smaller home has been a good thing. It's an individual home in a huge 55plus community. You know - with lots of options for exercise and sociability, pretty neighborhoods with sidewalks, walking trails, a lake and an indoor pool. That last one is my favorite. So, I have big goals to move my body more. It's a .2 mile walk to that pool!

As it turns out, I do also have time and energy for stamping. It's no longer two hours per card, but just enough to have fun, share and keep up with you lovely stamping friends. Thank you for keeping on visiting me!

Challenges entered: 

Penny Black Saturday Challenge
Jingle Belles - using new/old  oops! I'm too late for this one.
A Cut Above - Anything Goes, optional New
Time Out - Inspired by something you love to do. For me, I love to walk in the snow, and gift giving is good to do too!

Christmas in July!

 Hi, again! Hope your week is off to a good start. 

It's still July so when I saw Sheri's great new colors for us at Color Hues! I made my first Christmas card for 2024. She has chosen Red and Green and you may use the combo any way you wish, as long as you add only neutrals - black, white, kraft or gold, gray or cream.

Here you go! 

Pulling out my Winterberry dies, stamps and stencils, I created my focal point. I used Distress Inks and chose to layer the bouquet over an embossed white panel. 

The bow and the sentiment tag are also from The Greetery.

Thanks for following us at Color Hues, We hope that you will be stoked to create! 

They're asking for FRAMES at the Christmas Kickstart Challenge, so I'll also be linking up over there.  

I sure enjoyed your visit, stay cool!

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Joyful Poinsettia Christmas

 The calendar tells me there's only a week until Thanksgiving, and Christmas is just around the corner! At Color Hues we are inviting you to bring out red and metallic gold to make your cards over the next two weeks. Christmas or not, these colors are elegant and full of possibilities! 

I am making every effort to dig into supplies from my stash and bring them out for inking! The Joyful Poinsettia stamp (W Plus9) makes a beautiful background. I stamped it in Versamark ink onto Real Red card stock, and heat embossed it with glittery gold embossing powder. 

The sentiment is in gold foil and I adorned it with  three red gems. 

Sparkle and elegance are my favorites for Christmas cards and this one has both. It's much more glittery IRL! 

Can't wait to see what you will make with these colors. Please join us!

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

 Supplies: Sentiment is from Gina K Foil-Mates Joyful Holiday

I'm adding this to Peace On Earth Challenge

I Love Christmas!

 The Christmas in July theme has been everywhere in blog land, and I caught the bug. I don't need new stamps, but I love pulling out the older ones in my stash and creating with them anew. 

The challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throw-down asks us to use the technique of fussy cutting in July. I found these lovely gals from the I Love Christmas stamps (by Photoplay) that I had already colored and fussy cut. The decisions of where to start were easy! 

I also pulled out some favorite papers from the Candy Cane Lane pack (Prima). 

I had only a few scraps left, so I trimmed out some tags for the second card to add a bit more fussy cutting to the project. Although it's a bit busy, I feel sure my grand-daughter won't mind! 

 Isn't the candy cane a cute embellishment! I loved the products from this SSS kit last year, if you'd like there are a couple more projects HERE and HERE. 

Thanks for coming by to visit today. I'm happy to have my first two Christmas cards done! Motivation is one of the great things about challenges. 

 Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

I love Christmas!

 It's absolutely true that Christmas is my favorite time for making cards! Here's another one for you using Say It With Stamps I love Christmas set.  Actually I like this sweet image so much I colored it a few times and made two cards to share. 

I combined it with a cover-plate die also from Say It With Stamps! called A2 Knit. I took inspiration from the product package and used the plate as a background. Have a look! 

Using a favorite non-traditional color combo makes me happy! I placed aqua card stock behind the white piece. I love the look and texture this die gives! Dressing it up was easy with snowflakes, gems, and glitter along the snow. 

For the second card I used traditional red and green with a background of a night sky inked in blues and dotted with snowflakes using white acrylic paint. 

I used the sentiment included with the set and added an arched window and red mat. You know what's so special about the set? There are a few different options to place in the girls hands. Instead of candy canes she can hold gifts, a tree, a stocking or a steaming cup of hot cocoa. How fun is that! When coloring with Copic markers I gave her a nose, mouth and pink cheeks.

I'm playing with some challenges at: 

Hand Stamped Sentiments 

Krafty Chicks  

SSSWednesday Challenge   add some sparkle

I've really enjoyed sharing with you today and I appreciate the time you took to spend here. Much thanks. 

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

JOY at Christmas for the Color Hues

 Hello crafting friends, it turns out that I'm again shocked to turn the calendar and realize that it's the last month of the year. Already! Can you believe it? December 1! Our weather is expected to be at freezing or below all day. Our hearts and prayers go out to you those who had tornadoes yesterday!

You CAN believe that there's another great challenge for us at Color Hues! Nancy has chosen the combo of Navy and Cream for challenge #54 and you have until Dec. 28 to join in! 

I thought these elegant shades were perfect for me to pair with lovely supplies from The Greetery. I used various blue Oxide inks to sponge the pieces of the die cut rose and added gold embossing and accents. Few embellishments were needed with the intricate background and bold floral. I added one blue gem to the center of the sentiment. 

Please check out the wonderful creations from my friends, I know you'll be inspired to play along. 

It's my first time to feature the Elegant Arches set, so I'm entering this at NBUS and the Sisterhood of Crafters who ask for anything Christmas or Winter, and Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge. 

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Supplies: The Greetery - Elegant Arches stamp,  A2 Arches Dies, BotaniCuts Rose Die

Sentiment: SSS - Stained Glass Greetings

Christmas Blessings for the Paper Players

 Sunday has come around again, and I'm happy to welcome you to my blog. Laurie has a great sketch for us at The Paper Players #619 and I can't wait to share my card with you. 

I love sketch challenges and holidays are my favorite time for card making. Now that for the US our Thanksgiving Day has passed, let's get down to some serious  creating for Christmas!

I bought a new multi-level embossing folder from Sissix called Winter Pattern, and ran it through my Big Shot using Baked Brown Sugar card stock. I carefully daubed white craft ink just along the top of the images and love the depth it created to the overall pattern. 

Here's a closer look that allows you to see the three levels of embossing.

My sentiments and dies are from The Greetery, the JOY sparkles in the red mirror card stock. 

I sure hope you'll want to play along at The Paper Players! We love it when you do! 

I will also add this to two other challenges: at Peace on Earth Christmas they have a mood board.

 For the Tic Tac Toe Challenge I chose the top row across.  Holiday, Die, Embellishment. I hop

I hope this inspires you to be crafty. Have a wonderful week!

 Be yourself
     Have delight in your craft
         Make something beautiful!  

Joyful and Blessed with Color Hues

 Hello, stamping friends! How's it going with your holiday crafting? I realize today that I should have started much earlier on sharing Christmas cards on my blog since I have so many sets that are new-to me that I will never fit them in! 

Our mid-month colors are lovely and timely, chosen by Julie for your inspiration at Color Hues Challenge #53. My card uses the Winterberry Bouquet stamps and dies, and the Cathedral die from The Greetery.

I wanted the cathedral window to shine as the main element, so I  stacked die cuts with gold mirror card stock  on the top and tucked in just a few of the gorgeous winterberry foliage. The bottom layer is SU Very Vanilla card stock, and I used a Vanilla taffeta double bow to add balance and dress up the design. I kept to our colors of scarlet and green, and hope that the three neutrals are allowed: white, gold and cream. I guess you know me and won't be surprised that I had a very hard time limiting my colors this time! 

The sentient strip (also new out of the packet!) is from Jolly Snippets rubber stamps by Penny Back. These are small sentiments with really unique phrases for Christmas or winter themes. 

I know you will love seeing what the amazing DT has created to inspire you, take a good look and them dive right in to play along! 

 Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

I'm entering these challenges :

Tic Tac Toe 

and NBUS using the Cathedral Die for the first time. 

using the middle row across 

a

Inspired By 198 Winter Beauty

 Hi there, I'm back again with a new card for Inspired By 198 and I'm so glad to see you today! I was stalled on this challenge. Because there are fun and beautiful options and I just couldn't decide! 

 

I went along with  **SNOW* based on the soft blue fluffy flake in the photo but it took a totally different direction. 

My card is a bridge card including snowy DSP and a die cut village. If you've never made one of these before (like me) let me tell you they are so fun! 

I included a second line of homes on a snowy hill behind the main row of images. 

These cards stand up on their own, and also fit into a regular A2 envelope for mailing.

I added a sentiment and a few aqua gems, other supplies are listed below.  

Thanks for your visit, have a great day. 

 Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Jennifer has a great video showing how to make a bridge card HERE.  

Stamps: Sentiment Suite Christmas and Basics Dies from The Greetery 

The houses are Stampin' Up! Hometown Greetings Edgelits THESE are used for the first time today, so I will be adding this card to the NBUS challenge. 

Christmas Cheer with Winter Fox

Are you ready for another Christmas card? 

I don't usually grab up a limited supply set, but Winter Fox is a collaboration from SSS and Mama Elephant that is the exception. I loved these adorable foxes and share today's card where I've created a forest scene of their frolics and fun. 

I colored the images with Copics, adding details with a white gel pen, glossy accents to the fire and a wash of shimmer to the marshmallow. 

Papers from Stampin' Up! were used to cover the card front and the focal area. The Stitched Evergreen Trees (Poppystamps) were die cut to create the snowy hills. Spattered snowflakes were formed by flicking on white paint and I even added glitter to the snow. 

For the sentiment, I sponged Distress Oxide Inks in Candied Apple and Fired Brick onto white card stock and embossed the sentiment in white.

My inspiration began with The Paper Players sketch but took on a loose interpretation as the creative process evolved. 

Reading this post, I'm not sure if you get any idea of just how much fun I had making this! You will have to imagine what a grand time it was.
I hope some of the smiles are coming your way today! I know you will be seeing these furry foxes again! Have a great day ~

Be yourself

     Delight in your craft 

        Make something beautiful!

Holiday GIfts

Today I am presenting Christmas card #2! A result of my goal to make this year's cards well ahead of time. At first I was stumped by the challenge given to use gifts on our cards, the theme at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown. That prompted me to look through my stash and find the retired DSP (SU) that works well for the theme. And helps me to use up some of my hoard. That's why I love challenges so much.

Aren't the images on this paper sweet? I fussy cut two of the gifts, punched a star from glitter paper, adding a sentiment and a bow. Easily done! 

I'm also entering the holiday challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More. Supplies are listed below. Thank you so much for visiting! Wishing you a great day. 

Be yourself

     Delight in your craft 

           Make something beautiful!

   

Supplies used:

Stamps: Gina K - Perfect Poinsettia (sentiment)

Paper: Neenah Solar White, SU - Cherry Cobbler

INK: Wplus9 - Siren Song 

Accessories: Bow and Circle dies - The Greetery; SU - star punch

Sending Love at Christmas

Sharing quickly today in between errands. The day is speeding by! Hope you don't mind more Christmas cards as I'm still working on them through the end of this week. And maybe longer! Christmas is my very favorite time to stamp, and I'm trying to use many of the lovelies I've acquired for the season. 

A simple card that started with the Sketch at FMS this week. I had trouble visualizing this at first, but those gorgeous samples from the talented DT were a wonderful help. 

Featured is some great DSP (Stampin' Up! Wrapped in Plaid)  my older dies (retired from Impression Obsession,  and a sweet sentiment from The Greetery (embossed in white.)

That's it for me today! Sending hugs your way.

Be yourself

     Delight in your craft 

        Make something beautiful!